Safety appliance for theaters.



No. 840,692. PATENTED JAN. '8, 190?. A. L. K. ELVON U. ZU GILSA & A. KARST.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR THEATERS.

APPLIQATION TILED JULY 15. 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

d 1w W ///IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII,III

' ll oegz, ITS,

7w: mania PIYIRI cm, \IIASNINIIOAHD. c

No. 840,692. v PATBNTED JAN 8, 190-2 A.L. .K. B. vow U. ZU GILSA & KARST. V SAFETY APPLIANGE'POR THEATERS.

' APPLICATION II LEU'JULY 15, 1904.

ssnnn'rs-snnm 2.

7 W I aw PATENTBD JAN. 8 19074 A. 'L, K. E. VON U. ZU GILSA & A. KARST.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR THEATERS;

APPLICATION rum: JULY 15, 1904.

' a SHEETS-SHEET a.

ED872151}; m? aw gfivwa m v44 rut NORRIS rsrsns ca.. wunmumu. 17. t.

. cape to without.

UNI ED STATES PATENT orruo'n.

ADOLF LUDWIG KARL ERNST voN U. zu GILSA, or MoNoHHAr, NEAR ABTERODE, AND-ANTON KARST, or CASSEL, GERMANY.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR THEATERS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan; 8, 1907.

Application filed July 15, 1904. Serial No. 216,765.

siding at Monchhaf, near. Abterode, and AN' TON KARST, residing at Cassel, in the Kingdom of Prussia and Province of Hesse- Nassau, Germany, citizens of the Empire of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Appliances for Theaters, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

In designing theaters the attention has been recently directed to safety appliances for protecting the auditories, the artists, the actors, and other people from dangers arising from a fire. Fire-esca es, emergency-exits, and other expedients ave been devised to facilitate the escape of the public; but they did not prove satisfactory in case of a panic. Means have been attempted for effectively dividing the stage from they auditory, since the chief danger lies in the stage, and the well-known iron-curtains have been tried. Also smoke-dispellers and Watering devices have been employed. All these contrivances failed, however, to procure a complete safety and to render people easy and secure.

Our invention relates to a safety appliance for theaters whereby the disadvantages indicated above are remedied and the people will be convinced that a fire, if any, in the stage would be in any case prevented from spreading into the auditory, since by the new ap liance every fire, smoke, gas, and the like will be forced without instead of getting into the auditory.

According to our invention both the aud i tory and the stage, with its accessories, are built independently of each other, so that a space is left between the two builcings; and t e new appliance essentially consists of a movable structure either in a single piece or in two parts and adapted to normally close the gap and in case of emergency to move aside to either side or both sides, so as to permit the fire,smoke, gas, or the like to freely es- Moreover, the illuminating, ventilating, heating, and Watering arrangements in the two buildin s are kept distinct,

and means are provided or producing, so to say, a wall of water between the stage-house and the auditory-house, either for assistingin the extinguishment of in the iron curtain, if any is employed.

e will now proceed to describe our inthe fire or for 0001- vention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the movable structure in the space between the stage-house, shown in elevation, and the auditory-house, on the line A B in Fig. 3, the structure occupying its closed position. Fig. 2 is a similar vertical longitudinal section, the two parts of the structure having been moved aside. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through theauditoryhouse, the structure, and the stage-house on the line C D in Fig. 1, the structure occupying its closed position. Fig. 4 is a part of Fig. 3 after the halves of the structure have been moved aside. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section through the auditoryhouse, the structure, and apart of theStagehouse on the line E F in Fig. 3, the structure occupying its closed position; and Fig. 6 isa similar vertical longitudinal section, the structure having been moved aside.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The stage-house a, and the auditory-house b are so built that a vertical space of convenient width and reaching down to a convenient levelsay the floor of the stage properis left between them. The 0on struction and disposition of both buildings are quite immaterial. A track comprising, say, two rails h h of a convenient length is preferably disposed on the floor of the space, and two separate cottages i and kare built at both enus of this track.

The structure is shown as made in two parts 0 and d, erected on two convenient traveling platforms 8 and t, respectively. The construction of. the two parts 0 and d is im-. material; but they are arched or shapedin correspondence to the forms of the opening e, Fig. 2, in the stage-house a andthat in the auditory-house b. on the inside conveniently ornamented. The two platforms 8 and t are eachpr ovided with The two parts a and d are a suit-able number of wheels 9 9, running on i struction and driven either by hand or by power, or both. The upper ends of the two parts 0' and (Z are arranged in any known manner for properly engaging each other (see Fig.- 1) and to prevent rain, dust, or air from getting between them. I have shown the left part c in Fig. 2 as provided with an overlap 42 for this purpose; but any other known means may be employed. In a similar manner the edges of the two parts 0 and d are preferably so made in any known manner as to tightly close the clearances or slits between them and the adjacent faces of the two buildings wand b when the structure is closed. A suitable channel g is preferably placed in the floor of the space and filled with water. Also a series of hydrants or fire-cocks p may be disposed along the channel 9. Fire-alarm devices are disposed everywhere in both buildings a and b and connected with the two cottages i and k.

' The'manner of operating the safety appliance is obvious: Normally the two parts 0 and d of the structure and the two traveling platforms 8 and t occupy the position shown at Figs. 1, 3, and 5, so that the space or gap between the two buildings a and b is closed. When the guardsmen in the two cottages t and lc'receive intelligence or order from the competent persons without or within the theater, they start their winches Z and 1%, so

that by means of the chains or ropes n and o the two traveling platforms 8 and t, with the two structure parts 0 and d, are moved aside and the gap is thus opened. Any fire, smoke, gas, hot or bad air will then readily escape through the space between the two buildings instead of getting into the auditory b and suffocating the people therein. Any actor whose clothes or garments have caught fire will be enabled to at once extinguish the fire by throwing the part into the water in the channel g. The hydrants or fire-cocks may be turned on by the respective attendants to produce, so to say, a wall of water by a'series of jets, as is indicated by dotted lines in Fig .6. Thereby the fire on the stage a would be prevented from propagating into the auditory b, or the water may be utilized for cooling the iron curtain should any be employed. When it is desired to again close the structure, of course the ends of the two chains or ropes n and 0' are disconnected from their platforms 8 and t and connected with the other platforms t and s, respectively, after which the two winches Z'and m are put int-o motion for approaching the two structure parts 0 and (1 until they close the gap.

f denotes the orchestra; but it is here remarked that its construction is quite immaterial for our invention.

It is evident that the two separate cottages and k afiord the advantage that the guard smen on duty are enabled to at once open the gap without being disturbed by the fire. In

case power is employed for driving the two winches Z andm of course it is preferable to keep the source of power distinct from that in the stage-house or in the auditory-house. Either of the two structure parts 0 and (1 may be alone moved aside. Where it is so preferred, the two cottages i and 7c may be omitted and the two winches placed on the two platforms 8 and t. In this case suitable doors a u are provided in thestage-house a and perhaps also in the auditory-house b to enable the guardsmen to get to the winches for operating the same. The structure may also be made in one piece and placed on a single traveling platform, so that it can be moved wholly aside.

The safety appliance described affords a special advantage. The auditories will perceive the moment the gap is opened that the fire and smoke readily escape and that there is no danger for them, so that they will remain cool and quietly walk out.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'

1. In a theater, a stage part and an auditory separated from the stage part by a gap through which fire or smoke may escape, and movable means for normally closing the said space.

2. In a theater, the combination with an auditory-house, of a stage-house divided from said auditory-house by a vertical gap permit-ting any fire or smoke to escape, a movable arched structure adapted to normally close the gap between the auditory and the stage, and means for moving said movable arched structure aside.

3. I11 a theater, the combination with an independent auditory-house, of a stage-house separated from said independent auditoryhouse by a gap permitting any fire or smoke to escape, a traveling platform on the floor of the space, an arched structure on said traveling platform and adapted to normally close the gap between the auditory and the stage, and means for moving said traveling platform with said arched structure, whereby the gap can be opened and closed respectively.

4. In a theater, the combination with an independent auditory-house, of a stage-house separated from said independent auditoryhouse by a gap permitting any fire or smoke to escape, a track on the floor of the space, a traveling platform 011 said track, an arched structure on said traveling platform and adapted to normally close the gap between the auditory and the stage, and means for moving said traveling platform with said. arched structure 011 said track, whereby the gap can be opened and closed res iectively.

5. In a theater, the combination with. an independent auditory-house, of a stage-house separated from said independent auditory house by a gap permitting any fire or smoke to escape, a track on the floor of the space,

two traveling platforms on said track, two I torium, movable structures, said movable 20 parts of an arched structure on said two traveling platforms and adapted to normally close the gap between the auditory and the stage, and means for moving said two traveling platforms with said two parts of an arched structure simultaneously or singly on said. track, whereby the gap can be opened and closed respectively.

6. A theater, com rising a stage, an auditorium, and movab e structures, said movable structures in. con junction with said stage and auditorium adapted to form the theater, and said movable structures when actuated adapted to disconnect the stage from the auditorium and to form passageways or outlets between the stage and auditorium.

7. A theater, comprising a stage, an audistructures in conjunction with said stage and auditorium adapted to form the theater and said movable structures when actuated adapted .to disconnect the stage from the auditorium and to form passage-Ways or outlets between the stage and auditorium, and means adapted to hold the movable structures in their operative position and to permit of a free movement of the same when required.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ADOLF LUDWIG KARL ERNST VON U. ZU GlLSA. ANTON KARST.

Witnesses HANS DAUGHANEL, PAUL SCHMIDT, 

